NICT's gCubik six-screened touchscreen cube in action

In theory, NICT's gCubik sounds like a pretty wild idea -- wrap a box in six screens, simulate a 3D object inside, make it touchscreen interactive. In reality, the screens are perhaps just a bit too low-resolution to really pull off any sort of illusion, but it's certainly a start. The 3.5-inch VGA screens that surround the cube are themselves 3D, with 18 x 18 different viewable angles, drastically reducing the quantity of pixels available to each view. NICT is looking at full HD or higher resolution displays to refine the idea, and while users can currently touch the screens to move the object "within," they're hoping to add further interaction like cube-shakage further down the line. Video is after the break.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 10th 2009 6:40PM]

Sorry, not very practical until it becomes life size with a hole in the middle of one of the screens...

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 10th 2009 7:11PM]

This is just a blatant rip-off from the Hellraiser puzzlebox PC

http://gizmodo.com/371607/the-illusion-pc-is-a-hellraiser

This is now ages old.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 10th 2009 6:41PM]

thats actually a really cool idea I wouldnt mind having one of these just around the house but would def need a much better set of screens to be worth it

[MysteriousLeg Posted Mar 10th 2009 6:47PM]

What is supposed to be inside the cube? A turtle? An apple? Yoshi?

[RioRyan Posted Mar 10th 2009 6:50PM]

A Yoshi-turtle eating an apple.

[MarcO Posted Mar 10th 2009 6:53PM]

It's your standard go-to 3D model, a teapot...

[Anthop Posted Mar 10th 2009 6:55PM]

A teapot, the perennial, classic, first thing you render in a 3D system. The "Hello World" of 3D.

[viet0wnage Posted Mar 10th 2009 8:01PM]

They should add a accelerometer

[gsmsosv Posted Mar 10th 2009 8:38PM]

Considering this is Japan, I'm surprised it doesn't contain a questionably aged schoolgirl. There's a screen on the bottom for easy upskirt action.

[Cloudd901 Posted Mar 10th 2009 9:41PM]

Be cool if one day there will be mods to add any object you would want. And later add speakers and give it a speach A.I.

To n_shakuras: Then you can have your questionably aged schoolgirl with no questions asked... lol.

[Dark Wizard Posted Mar 10th 2009 9:46PM]

I know this is pretty interesting, and this comment isn't to be take that seriously, but I think people are starting to forget that they can get a cube and put something inside. The way the tecnology goes scares me! Some day I will wake up and my breakfast will be 3D.